Mel Blanc, entertainer renowned as America’s greatest voice-over artist who created more than 400 unique voices for popular radio, television, movie, and cartoon characters. Blanc was interested in music at an early age and became proficient on bass, violin, and sousaphone. He began his

Mel Blanc, entertainer renowned as America’s greatest voice-over artist who created more than 400 unique voices for popular radio, television, movie, and cartoon characters. Blanc was interested in music at an early age and became proficient on bass, violin, and sousaphone. He began his

Mont Blanc, mountain massif and highest peak (15,771 feet [4,807 metres]) in Europe. Located in the Alps, the massif lies along the French-Italian border and reaches into Switzerland. It extends southwestward from Martigny, Switzerland, for about 25 miles (40 km) and has a maximum width of 10 miles

Blanche Of Castile, wife of Louis VIII of France, mother of Louis IX (St. Louis), and twice regent of France (1226–34, 1248–52), who by wars and marital alliances did much to secure and unify French territories. Blanche was the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor, who was the daughter

Cordillera Blanca, eastern section of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes, in west central Peru, South America. The snowcapped range extends about 110 mi (180 km) and has a southeast to northwest trend. The highest peak (22,334 ft [6,768 m]) is Nevado (mount) Huascarán. The range is separated

Lesley Blanch, British writer and traveler (born June 6, 1904, London, Eng.—died May 7, 2007, Menton, France), delighted readers with many books that, like her life, were full of romance and adventure. Branch’s travels took her to Russia, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Oman, Egypt, India, Mexico, and

Doc Blanchard, (Felix Anthony Blanchard, Jr.; “Mr. Inside”), American football player (born Dec. 11, 1924, McColl, S.C.—died April 19, 2009, Bulverde, Texas), was, with Glenn (“Mr. Outside”) Davis, part of the famed college football backfield on the undefeated Army teams of 1944–46. A robust

Doc Blanchard, (Felix Anthony Blanchard, Jr.; “Mr. Inside”), American football player (born Dec. 11, 1924, McColl, S.C.—died April 19, 2009, Bulverde, Texas), was, with Glenn (“Mr. Outside”) Davis, part of the famed college football backfield on the undefeated Army teams of 1944–46. A robust

Jean-Pierre Blanchard, French balloonist who, with the American physician John Jeffries, made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel. He was also the first to make balloon flights in England, North America, Germany, Belgium, and Poland. During the 1770s Blanchard worked on the design of

Jean-Pierre Blanchard, French balloonist who, with the American physician John Jeffries, made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel. He was also the first to make balloon flights in England, North America, Germany, Belgium, and Poland. During the 1770s Blanchard worked on the design of

Louise Blanchard Bethune, first professional woman architect in the United States. Louise Blanchard took a position as a draftsman in the Buffalo, New York, architectural firm of Richard A. Waite in 1876. In October 1881 she opened her own architectural office in partnership with Robert A. Bethune,

Marsalis family: , Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Nicholas Payton, and Kent and Marlon Jordan, as well as his own six sons, four of whom became celebrated musicians. The success of his sons resulted in Ellis’s attaining stardom in the 1980s, and he recorded steadily thereafter.

Thomas Blanchard, American inventor who made major contributions to the development of machine tools. Blanchard began as a self-taught tinkerer. As a boy he invented an apple parer and a tack-making machine for his brother’s factory. Later he designed a lathe capable of turning both the regular and

Blanche Of Castile, wife of Louis VIII of France, mother of Louis IX (St. Louis), and twice regent of France (1226–34, 1248–52), who by wars and marital alliances did much to secure and unify French territories. Blanche was the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor, who was the daughter

Franz Grillparzer: …verse, Blanka von Castilien (Blanche of Castile), that already embodied the principal idea of several later works—the contrast between a quiet, idyllic existence and a life of action. Die Ahnfrau, written in the trochaic Spanish verse form, has many of the outward features of the then-popular “fate tragedy” (Schicksalsdrama),…

Blanche Of Castile, wife of Louis VIII of France, mother of Louis IX (St. Louis), and twice regent of France (1226–34, 1248–52), who by wars and marital alliances did much to secure and unify French territories. Blanche was the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor, who was the daughter

Anthony Blanche, fictional character in the novel Brideshead Revisited (1945) by Evelyn Waugh. Blanche, a homosexual friend of Sebastian Marchmain, is an intellectual and an aesthete whose astute critical faculties fascinate and impress his Oxford

Alps: Physiography: …the crystalline rocks of the Mount Blanche nappe—which includes the Weisshorn (14,780 feet)—and the nappe of Monte Rosa Massif, sections of which mark the frontier between Switzerland and Italy. Farther to the east, Bernina Peak is the last of the giants over 13,120 feet (4,000 metres). In Austria the highest…

Blanchet Family: Fran?ois’s son, Fran?ois the Younger (b. c. 1730, Paris, France—d. 1766, Paris), succeeded his father. He died at an early age, leaving a widow who later married Pascal Taskin the Elder (b. 1723, Theux, France—d. 1793, Paris), another excellent builder, who continued the family business.

keyboard instrument: France: Those examples by the Blanchet family and their heir Pascal Taskin (1723–93) are noted for their extraordinarily high level of craftsmanship and the lightness and evenness of their touch. Eighteenth-century French harpsichords were almost always painted and rest on elaborate carved and gilded cabriole (curved-leg) stands. As with Flemish…

Blanchet Family: Nicolas Blanchet (b. c. 1660, Rheims, France—d. 1731, Paris) was the first of the line of instrument makers of the Blanchet family; after 1722 Nicolas and his son Fran?ois the Elder worked as partners, producing instruments based largely on models of the Ruckers family, the…

Blanchet Family: …great-grandson of Fran?ois the Elder, Nicolas Blanchet, engaged in making pianos to accommodate the demand of the 19th century; he was succeeded in 1855 by his son P.-A.-C. Blanchet. The harpsichord revival of the mid-20th century saw Blanchet and Taskin instruments used as models for new instruments made by leading…

Bloc Québécois: …Bloc, under the leadership of Yves-Fran?ois Blanchet, returned as a force to be reckoned with by capturing more than 30 seats and supplanting the NDP as the second opposition party nationally.

Cate Blanchett, Australian actress known for her multidimensional characters and wide range of roles. Blanchett grew up in suburban Melbourne with an Australian mother and an American father, who died when Blanchett was 10 years old. She studied art history at the University of Melbourne before

Cate Blanchett, Australian actress known for her multidimensional characters and wide range of roles. Blanchett grew up in suburban Melbourne with an Australian mother and an American father, who died when Blanchett was 10 years old. She studied art history at the University of Melbourne before

Florence A. Blanchfield, American nurse and army officer who succeeded in winning the status of full rank for U.S. Army nurses and became the first woman to hold a regular commission in that military branch. Blanchfield was educated at business college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the University

boiling: In blanching, boiling water is poured over vegetables, fruits, or nutmeats in order to loosen the outer skin. Parblanching or parboiling consists in immersing the food in cold water and then bringing it slowly to a simmer or boil.

Octavio Paz: Blanco), influenced by Stéphane Mallarmé’s poetry and John Cage’s theories on music; Ladera este (1971; “East Slope”), which is suffused with Paz’s understanding of East Indian myths; Hijos del aire (1979; Airborn), sonnet sequences created by Paz and the poet Charles Tomlinson building on each…

José Batlle y Ordó?ez: …produced tension with the opposition Blanco Party and led to a civil war in 1904. Batlle y Ordó?ez and his followers emerged victorious in 1905, with the Colorado Party in undisputed control of the country. He held honest presidential and legislative elections in 1905, which he and his party won.…

Joseph Blanco White, Spanish-born English poet, journalist, and writer of miscellaneous prose. He was a friend of the poets Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge and of the young clerical intellectuals at Oriel College, Oxford, in the 1820s: John Henry Newman, E.B. Pusey, Richard Hurrell

Carmen Herrera: …’70s in works such as Blanco y verde (1966), a triangular sliver of green against an austere white field, and Saturday (1978), a jet-black canvas interrupted by a thick gold zigzag. She also demonstrated an interest in pushing beyond painting’s traditional structural limitations. Since her days in Paris, she had…

Antonio Guzmán Blanco , Venezuelan president and typical Latin American caudillo (military leader or dictator) of his era. Guzmán Blanco was the son of a famous journalist and politician, Antonio Leocadio Guzmán, who had married into the Blanco family of Caracas’ upper class. He began his career by

Griselda Blanco, Colombian cocaine trafficker who amassed a vast empire and was a central figure in the violent drug wars in Miami in the 1970s and ’80s. Although there is some confusion about her birth location, a number of sources give it as Santa Marta, Colombia, where Blanco was baptized. She

Dominican Republic: Bosch, Balaguer, and their successors: …succeeded by another PRD candidate, Salvador Jorge Blanco, who served as president in 1982–86. Thus, the country completed eight years of truly democratic government, the longest in its history to that point. But Jorge Blanco was faced with falling sugar prices on world markets, widespread corruption in the government bureaucracy,…

Serge Blanco, French rugby player regarded as perhaps the best attacking fullback in the history of rugby union. Between 1980 and 1991, he played 93 games for the French national team, an international rugby record at the time. Arguably his country’s greatest rugby footballer, Blanco was noted for

Rufino Blanco-Fombona, Venezuelan literary historian and man of letters who played a major role in bringing the works of Latin American writers to world attention. Jailed during the early years of the dictatorship (1908–35) of Juan Vicente Gómez, Blanco-Fombona fled to Europe, where he established

Real Madrid, Spanish professional football (soccer) club based in Madrid. Playing in all-white uniforms, which led to its nickname “Los Blancos,” Real Madrid is one of the world’s best-known teams, with fans in many countries. Real Madrid grew out of Football Club Sky, a team formed in Madrid in

house of Bourbon: Solidarity and discord: …known in France as “Blancs d’Espagne” (“Spanish Whites”). Most Legitimists, however, followed the final advice of the comte de Chambord by recognizing the rights of the house of Orléans to France.

Bobby (“Blue”) Bland, American rhythm-and-blues singer noted for his rich baritone voice, sophisticated style, and sensual delivery; from 1957 to 1985 he scored 63 single hits on the R&B charts. Bland began his career in Memphis, Tennessee, with bluesman B.B. King and ballad singer Johnny Ace (all

E. Nesbit, British children’s author, novelist, and poet. Nesbit spent her childhood in France and Germany and later led an ordinary country life in Kent, which provided scenes for her books. She was interested in socialism and was one of the founders of the association known as the Fellowship of

minstrel show: …by black composers such as James Bland, a popular singer-banjoist who wrote some 700 songs, including “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” In general, these minstrel shows were the only theatrical medium in which gifted black performers of the period could support themselves.

United States: Constitutional differences with Britain: Rights, as Richard Bland of Virginia insisted in The Colonel Dismounted (as early as 1764), implied equality. And here he touched on the underlying source of colonial grievance. Americans were being treated as unequals, which they not only resented but also feared would lead to a loss…

Bobby (“Blue”) Bland, American rhythm-and-blues singer noted for his rich baritone voice, sophisticated style, and sensual delivery; from 1957 to 1985 he scored 63 single hits on the R&B charts. Bland began his career in Memphis, Tennessee, with bluesman B.B. King and ballad singer Johnny Ace (all

Greenback movement: …enactment of the Bland–Allison Act, which provided for a limited resumption of the coinage of silver dollars. In the midterm elections of 1878, the Greenback-Labor Party elected 14 members of Congress and in 1880 its candidate for president polled more than 300,000 votes, but after 1878 most champions of an…

Ken Freeman: …in 1988 with Australian astronomer Joss Bland-Hawthorn. In their paper “The New Galaxy: Signatures of Its Formation” (2002), they described the field of “galactic archaeology,” in which obtaining accurate velocities, positions, and chemical compositions of many individual stars in the Milky Way would lead to a better understanding of how…

George Blanda, American professional gridiron football player who first as a quarterback and later as a kicker established records for most seasons played (26), most games played (340; broken in 2004), most points scored (2,002; broken in 2000), most points after touchdowns (943 of 959 attempted),

George Blanda, American professional gridiron football player who first as a quarterback and later as a kicker established records for most seasons played (26), most games played (340; broken in 2004), most points scored (2,002; broken in 2000), most points after touchdowns (943 of 959 attempted),

John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, one of England’s greatest generals, who led British and allied armies to important victories over Louis XIV of France, notably at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and Oudenaarde (1708). John Churchill was the son of Sir Winston Churchill, member of

Ana Blandiana, Romanian lyric poet, essayist, and translator, considered one of her generation’s most significant literary voices. An apolitical writer, she was precipitated by events into taking a political role. Blandiana graduated in philology from the University of Cluj (1967). She edited

Blanding’s turtle, (Emydoidea blandingii), freshwater turtle, family Emydidae, found in southern Canada and the north-central to northeastern United States. The upper shell (carapace) of Blanding’s turtle averages about 20 cm (8 inches) in length; it is smooth, rounded, and elongate with yellow

Sextus Propertius: The first they called blanditia, a vague but expressive word by which they meant softness of outline, warmth of colouring, a fine and almost voluptuous feeling for beauty of every kind, and a pleading and melancholy tenderness; this is most obvious in his descriptive passages and in his portrayal…

George Blandrata, physician who became the leading organizer and supporter of Unitarianism in Transylvania. After serving as physician to Queen Bona Sforza of Poland from 1540 to 1552, Blandrata returned to Italy to practice medicine at Pavia, where he aroused the hostility of the authorities of

Sir Gilbert Blane, 1st Baronet, physician known for his reforms in naval hygiene and medicine, which included the use of citrus fruits to prevent scurvy. Blane studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and took his M.D. degree at Glasgow in 1778. He then became private physician to Admiral

Juan Manuel Blanes, Uruguayan painter known for his paintings of historical events in South America and his depictions of gaucho life. Blanes was born into a turbulent period in Uruguayan history. Although the country had been independent since 1828, it was politically unstable and fell into civil

coin: Ancient minting: Blanks or planchets (i.e., the small metal disks from which coins are made) seem first to have been cast by pouring the molten alloy from a crucible onto a flat surface, where they cooled into the characteristic lens shape. Later the metal was poured into…

Steven Pinker: …evolutionary approach to cognition in The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature (2002), also a Pulitzer Prize finalist. The book dismisses tabula rasa notions of human mental development, citing a large body of research indicative of the determinist role played by genes. While acknowledging the ethical quandaries raised…

Blank verse, unrhymed iambic pentameter, the preeminent dramatic and narrative verse form in English and also the standard form for dramatic verse in Italian and German. Its richness and versatility depend on the skill of the poet in varying the stresses and the position of the caesura (pause) in

Franz Grillparzer: …verse, Blanka von Castilien (Blanche of Castile), that already embodied the principal idea of several later works—the contrast between a quiet, idyllic existence and a life of action. Die Ahnfrau, written in the trochaic Spanish verse form, has many of the outward features of the then-popular “fate tragedy” (Schicksalsdrama),…

Fanny Blankers-Koen, versatile Dutch track-and-field athlete who, at the 1948 Olympics in London, became the first woman to win four gold medals at a single Games. During her career, she set world records in eight different events. She first achieved success as a teenager, winning a Dutch national

floral decoration: Forms of floral decoration: A blanket of flowers is often laid over a casket at a funeral or over a racehorse in the winner’s circle. Blankets are made by stretching burlap over a frame, covering it with a layer of flat fern, and then adding delicate asparagus fern (Sprengeri). The…

primary election: …state of Washington employed a blanket primary, which enabled voters to select one candidate per office irrespective of party affiliation, with the top vote getter from each party advancing to the general election. In 2003 the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Washington’s primary was unconstitutional, on the…

Lloyd Blankfein, American business executive who served as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the investment banking and securities company Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., in the early 21st century. His tenure was marked by criticism owing to his controversial comments and high executive

Lloyd Blankfein, American business executive who served as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the investment banking and securities company Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., in the early 21st century. His tenure was marked by criticism owing to his controversial comments and high executive

history of photography: Development of the wet collodion process: Introduced in 1850 by Louis-Désiré Blanquart-Evrard, albumen paper is a slow printing-out paper (i.e., paper that produces a visible image on direct exposure, without chemical development) that had been coated with egg white before being sensitized. The egg white gave the paper a glossy surface that improved the definition…

race: Postcolonial society: …hasten this supposed process of blanqueamiento (“whitening”). The beliefs and practices of elites in countries with large indigenous populations (e.g., Mexico) became quite contradictory: they tended to glorify the indigenous past in ideologies of indigenismo while still envisaging a future of integration and mixedness, all the while discriminating against extant…

Louis de Durfort, 2nd earl of Feversham, French-born soldier who played a notable role in military and diplomatic affairs in England under Charles II and James II. Durfort (known as the marquis de Blanquefort in France) met James, then duke of York, in 1650 and went to England in 1665, where he was

Adolphe Blanqui, French liberal economist whose History of Political Economy in Europe (1837–38) was the first major study of the history of economic thought. In 1833 Blanqui succeeded Jean-Baptiste Say, under whom he had studied, to the chair of political economy at the Conservatory of Arts and

Auguste Blanqui, revolutionary socialist, a legendary martyr-figure of French radicalism, imprisoned in all for more than 33 years. His disciples, the Blanquists, played an important role in the history of the workers’ movement even after his death. Blanqui’s father was a subprefect in the little

Adolphe Blanqui, French liberal economist whose History of Political Economy in Europe (1837–38) was the first major study of the history of economic thought. In 1833 Blanqui succeeded Jean-Baptiste Say, under whom he had studied, to the chair of political economy at the Conservatory of Arts and

Auguste Blanqui, revolutionary socialist, a legendary martyr-figure of French radicalism, imprisoned in all for more than 33 years. His disciples, the Blanquists, played an important role in the history of the workers’ movement even after his death. Blanqui’s father was a subprefect in the little

Tilefish, any of about 40 species of elongated marine fishes in the family Malacanthidae (order Perciformes), with representatives occurring in tropical and warm temperate seas. Malacanthidae is formally divided into the subfamilies Malacanthinae and Latilinae; however, some taxonomists consider

Paul Blanshard, American writer, polemicist, and lawyer best known for his vitriolic criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. Blanshard created a national furor with the publication of American Freedom and Catholic Power (1949), the first in a series of controversial books that severely attacked the

Jimmy Blanton, African American jazz musician whose innovative string bass techniques and concepts, displayed during his two years in the Duke Ellington band, made him by far the major influence on subsequent jazz bassists for several decades. While based in St. Louis, Blanton played in the

Jimmy Blanton, African American jazz musician whose innovative string bass techniques and concepts, displayed during his two years in the Duke Ellington band, made him by far the major influence on subsequent jazz bassists for several decades. While based in St. Louis, Blanton played in the

Fred Thompson: Ray Blanton for refusing to grant early releases to inmates who had bribed members of Blanton’s staff. The story was made into the film Marie (1985), and Thompson was cast to play himself. His reassuring yet authoritative on-screen demeanour in the movie launched an acting…

Blantyre, city in Malawi and seat of the country’s judiciary. It lies in the Shire Highlands, in the southern part of the country. Blantyre lies at an elevation (3,409 feet [1,039 metres]) that moderates the tropical climate. It has a rainy season (December to March), a cool season (April to

Short-tailed shrew, (genus Blarina), any of three species of North American insectivores that resemble voles in body form. All have minute, degenerate eyes and small ears concealed in the fur. Within the moderately long and pointed muzzle are reddish-tipped teeth. Blarina species are among the

short-tailed shrew: …the genus Blarina are the northern (B. brevicauda), the southern (B. carolinensis), and Elliot’s (B. hylophaga) short-tailed shrew. Blarina is one of many genera classified with “true shrews” of the family Soricidae in the order Soricimorpha, which belongs to a larger group of mammals referred to as insectivores. Their evolutionary…

short-tailed shrew: brevicauda), the southern (B. carolinensis), and Elliot’s (B. hylophaga) short-tailed shrew. Blarina is one of many genera classified with “true shrews” of the family Soricidae in the order Soricimorpha, which belongs to a larger group of mammals referred to as insectivores. Their evolutionary history extends back to…

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